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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · bear · file · coach · sharp · fan · lean · ruler

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bear — the animal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lean — to bend
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. lean — thin
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. file — a tool
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. file — a document
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com